Yearly Archives: 2011

New Regulations Taking Pets into the UK

DEFRA (Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs) have announced new rules regarding Pet travel, which come into effect from 1st January 2012.

They say that “New rules mean it will be easier and cheaper to travel abroad with pets”.

The UK will harmonise its pet movement rules with the rest of the European Union.

For all the relevant information regarding the new regulations, please go to the DEFRA website: http://www.defra.gov.uk/news/2011/06/30/new-rules-pet-passports/

This is indeed good news for pet owners who frequently travel with their pets.

Aljezurense FC Presentation Night 2 July 2011

President Peter Johnson and fellow supporters were guests of Aljezurense FC this weekend to present Amovate’s Player of the Year trophy during the club’s annual dinner.

The manager, Luis Miguel Matos Correia, and players watched as Association secretary Ian Bedford made the eagerly-awaited announcement, naming goalkeeper Toco—Christiano José Catarino Toco—as the top player for the 2010-2011 season.

It is the third successive year that Amovate have presented the award, firming up our relationship with our local club.

Some of the regular supporters rarely miss a match home or away, a fact much appreciated by the players who usually come to the touchline at the end of each away game to applaud their presence.

And at the end of the evening the club presented Amovate with a silver salver as a token of their appreciation for their ongoing support.

Three years ago, after learning that while the club had an annual Leading Goalscorer Award there was no nomination for a Player of the Year, Ian, his wife Sue—Amovate’s treasurer–and Peter asked for permission to donate such a trophy each season.

The club were delighted with the gesture, and since then the travelling ex-Pat support have held an annual end-of-season vote to name their outstanding player.

Guests at the Presentation

Apart from Ian, Sue and Peter, Vice-President John Bergstrom-Potter, PR Matt D’Arcy and Jack Beveridge were also invited to the dinner at the club’s Headquarters.

Ian, whose speech was translated by Coach Correia said it had been an “Almost” season for our local club, who ‘almost’ succeeded in remaining in the First Division.

But too much time bedding in new players, the difficulties adapting to a new coach before Correia’s welcome return to manage the side, and the loss of Toco through injury for the vital opening weeks of the season meant they were narrowly relegated.

But Ian added that with the arrival of young players like João Luis the team can rebuild on the experience of last season and promotion could once again be achieved with style.

He recalled that four players—Jorge, Lionel, Cocu and Toco—had all gained four or more Man of the Match votes during the season.

Christiano Jóse Catarino Toco

But the majority went to Toco and Jorge and after the final match the supporters cast their votes between these two men, with Toco narrowly emerging as the winner of the Player of the Year Trophy.

Toco was presented by Peter with the beautiful glass trophy that remains in the

possession of the club to be presented annually, and a second impressive trophy that is his to keep.

PROMS AT THE PARQUE

Aljezur International Choir

10th Anniversary Concert for Aljezur International Choir

A choir that started life in the home of two people in 2001 celebrated its 10th anniversary with a free “Proms At the Parque” concert for an audience of more than 120.

Coro International Aljezur, or the Aljezur International Choir, now has between 20 and 30 choristers plus musicians playing the violin, cello, piano, harp and trumpet.

The Choir has grown from the moment 10 years ago when Doris Wroblewski & Uwe Zelinsk posted handwritten notes asking for anyone who enjoyed singing to come to their home in Vale da Telha.

From those humble beginnings one of the Algarve’s leading choirs has grown to prominence across the region.

But they decided they wanted to go back to their roots to celebrate their 10th anniversary.

Organiser and Treasurer Trevor Herrington, who also sings bass and plays the trumpet, felt the Pastelaria in the Parque in Vale da Telha, a community just outside Aljezur with a large expat population, would be the perfect location, having held successful concerts there before.

And it is located not much more than a kilometre from Doris and Uwe’s home.

The early evening concert on June 30 featured not just a selection of songs by the choir in Portuguese, Italian, English, Irish, Yiddish and African, but a wonderful solo by the amazing 13 year-old violin prodigy Zé Nuno.

Other soloists included co-founder Uwe Zelinsky on cello and harpist Annette Gerken.

The choir’s young conductor Francisco Brazão, who has been with the Coro International Aljezur for less than a year—during which time it has come on in leaps and bounds under his stewardship—also sang a few solos in his wonderful baritone voice.

One member of the audience remarked to Brazão afterwards: “That was the best I’ve ever heard the Choir sing, they were so together.”

During the concert Pastelaria customers donated €50 to the choir, which will be passed on to the Bombeiros Volunteros of Aljezur.

The concert, hosted by Nik and Kim of the Pastelaria, was sponsored by the Associação do Património Histórico e Arqueológico de Aljezur—the Association for the Defence of Historical and Archaeological Heritage of Aljezur—who hoped it would serve as a way of recruiting more volunteers to their membership of over 260 including individual and collective associates.

The crowd enjoying the Choir

It was also supported by Amovate through publicity and the loan of tables and chairs to the Pastelaria.

Swantje Suemer, ADPHA’s President/Chaiman, addressed the audience in Portuguese, English and German, saying:

“We hope our presence here makes more people aware of ADPHA and its importance in studying and preserving the cultural heritage in and around Aljezur.

“ADPHA is a non-profit association, founded on February 12th, 1996, with a membership now of over 260 including individual and collective associates.

“We are a recognized Public Utility Institution since 2003 and our objectives are the recovery of cultural identity and contribution to the development of Aljezur; Studying, promoting, raising awareness and defending its historical and cultural heritage through research, formation, treatment, restoration, etc.

“We collaborate with the local authorities and schools in cultural initiatives and maintain a specialized Library, a Documentation Centre and we are working on the Historical Archive.

“Also, we manage three of the four museums in the historic centre of the village, which integrate the Historic-cultural circuit, so we do guided tours through the museums and archaeological sites.

“These of course include archaeological excavations, in particular in Ribāt da Arrifana, the Islamic Silos by Barrada – Aljezur, the Medieval Cemetery in Aljezur, the Islamic Fishermen village by Carrapateira and the Islamic Tower in Odeceixe.

“If any of you would like to become involved with our work please drop into our office in Aljezur. Volunteers are always welcome.”

ADPHA can be contacted through:

Casa Museu José Cercas, which contains paintings and drawings of José Cercas, a painter born in Aljezur, and also features the works of other Portuguese artists. It also contains furniture, religious pieces and ceramics.

Rua do Castelo

8670 – 075 Aljezur

Tel: 282 991 011

e-mail:

adpha@sapo.pt

**The choir are holding another Concert promoted by ADPHA at the Igreja Nova, Aljezur during October, on a date yet to be confirmed.

See a selection of photos taken during the concert:

An Afternoon of Entertainment

Amovate have been asked to post this on our website, detailing an afternoon of Entertainment to be held at the Adega Da Craveira (Vales).

The event is being hosted by Teatro Do Campo, and will include songs, recitals, sketches & comedy.  The dates are Friday 22nd & Saturday 23rd July – from 3pm – 7pm.

Tickets are €15 each (which includes a buffet) and can be obtained by telephoning 282995326 / 912547198 or 282997364 / 963244407